Those first aromas, that first sip. Blueberry fruit, red berries, rose petals and wild mountain herbs. This is Rioja.
When a wine transports you to this wild and beautiful landscape, it bathes you in the warm, soft glow of pure joy and pleasure – drinking becomes an emotional experience.
The genérico category – wines without an age-related classification such as reserva or gran reserva – was easily the largest of this tasting, and it was where we encountered some of the most exciting wines.
Scroll down for notes and scores of the tasting’s best fresh reds
{"content":"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"}
Rioja Report 2025: Best of the fresh reds
{}
{"wineId":"95413","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"96309","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"95414","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"95417","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"95416","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"95415","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"95418","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"96310","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"96311","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"95421","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"95419","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"95422","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"96314","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"95420","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"95424","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"96313","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"95423","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"96315","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"96320","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"95425","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"96316","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"96317","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"96318","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"96319","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"96321","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"96322","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"96323","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"96325","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"96324","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{}
Related articles